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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23855815">Game of Life</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrphisTheDragon/pseuds/OrphisTheDragon'>OrphisTheDragon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Time LU Oneshots (REWRITTEN) [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda &amp; Related Fandoms</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Battle, Broken Bones, Drowning, Everything Hurts, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hyrule (mentioned) - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Legend (mentioned) - Freeform, Malon (mentioned) - Freeform, Pierced through by different kind of weapons, Poisoning, Sad Ending, Sky (mentioned) - Freeform, Temporary Character Death, Time (Linked Universe) Has Issues, Time Loop, Time Travel, Time is tired of time loops, Violent Deaths, Warriors (mentioned) - Freeform, Whump, certainly not I, creepy Masks Salesman is also mentioned, do the others know of the time loops?, don't ask me how Time knows of Hylia, etc - Freeform, mentioning of beheading, pretenting everything is alright, slight Hylia bashing, which means, who knows - Freeform, you get the point I hurt the Links bad</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:42:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,187</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23855815</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrphisTheDragon/pseuds/OrphisTheDragon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For Time all of it happened yesterday, days or weeks ago. He didn't know for sure how long it all happened anymore. Time became just a concept for the Hero of Time. It didn't affect him anymore like it affected the others.</p>
<p>(Or: Time is stuck in a time loop and nothing stops Her from sending him back again and again)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Time &amp; Twilight (Linked Universe), Time/Malon (mentioned) - Relationship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Time LU Oneshots (REWRITTEN) [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1511195</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Game of Life</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Please mind the warnings in the tags as this is a more violent story than I normally write.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time woke up with a gasp. He was lying in his tent and the early morning sun was shining through the cracks of it. Time slowly got up. He needed to, he had to lead the others to a save place.<br/>
It wasn't safe here.<br/>
It was nowhere safe but he couldn't let the others know that. It was his burden, his alone.<br/>
He stepped out of the tent.<br/>
Leafs were being crumbled under his heavy steps.<br/>
Time was exhausted but that wasn't important.</p>
<p>The wind was howling through the large trees. It was just like home.<br/>
Like a home long forgotten.</p>
<p>He knew where everyone was by heart. He had enough attempts to memorize this morning because it was always the same.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wind and Hyrule slept in the tent on the left near the river.</p>
<p>
  <em>Wind's lifeless eyes were staring at him. The child's body wasn't at the same place as his head.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Hyrule's helpless expression as he was being drowned in front of them will haunt him for a long time.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sky napped on top of a tree and Time still didn't know how he could do that without falling off.</p>
<p>
  <em>Sky's neck had been bent in an unnatural angle. Blood was coming out of his mouth. He would never fly again. Not in this timeline.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Warriors still kept guard, he had been the last person for the night watch that day.</p>
<p>
  <em>Warriors' screams, when Wind got stabbed with the Yiga's sword, were still ringing in Time's ears. And the bloody sight of Warrior's body, pierced by arrows, after that couldn't be forgotten either. Not by Time.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Pup and his Cub were softly whispering with each other. Twi was braiding little flowers into Wild's hair.</p>
<p>
  <em>Tears were rolling down Wild's cheeks as he was killed and resurrected again and again. But soon it was too much and Mipha's powers didn't work anymore. The champion of Hyrule was dead.</em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>Twilight's wolf form was lying on the bloody ground. His body had been mangled by monsters. Time was crying over the dead corpse of his son protege. Wild was hugging him in the need of comfort.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Legend was patrolling through the woods because he had a nightmare. A nightmare about past adventures and seagulls. He never explained once why seagulls were in his dreams.</p>
<p>
  <em>One of Legend's deaths was slow. He was poisoned on the first day and it killed him on the third. It was cruel to see him dying a painful death were nobody could stop it. Dark circles were under his eyes and his lips turned slowly black. Breathing got harder and harder for him until he stopped completely. Time never found out what the poison was called.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Four inspected all their weapons for defects or other damage. He did that every morning but now Time has memorized the steps by heart. First were Wind's weapons and Wild's were last. Four told him that he liked to do this because it was relaxing for him when he was fully concentrating on one thing. That the voices in his head weren't so loud .</p>
<p>
  <em>In Time's last attempt, Four's death had been his fault. He wasn't fast enough and Four's torso had been punctured by a spear. Time couldn't forget the panicked eyes staring at him when he was holding the smaller body. Couldn't forget how Four had gasped out: “I... We don't wanna die. We don't wanna die”</em><br/>
<em>It broke Time's heart.</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For Time all of it happened yesterday, days or weeks ago. He didn't know for sure how long it all happened anymore. Time became just a concept for the Hero of Time. It didn't affect him like it affected the others.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For the others it never has happened.<br/>
For the others, they’ve never died. They’ve never gotten electrocuted to death or were being drowned. They’ve never gotten killed by monsters twice their size.<br/>
For Time it was a new round in an endless game.</p>
<p>Today was the dawn of the first day but nobody except Time realized it.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Time's body hit violently the ground. A large spear of a moblin pinned him down and he couldn't move anymore.<br/>
Wolf growling and the screams of the monster, who wounded him, sounded loud in his ears .<br/>
The next thing he knows is that Twilight, covered in the enemy's blood, is placing Time's head on his lap.<br/>
<br/>
Twilight pleaded desperately: "Why don't ya use the ocarina? Ya don't have to die when ya use it," sobs interrupted his speech, "Hylia would allow ya to travel back in time again."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He still didn't know what you have been doing again and again and again, thought Time.<br/>
Didn’t know that he was just a puppet in Her hands like they all were.</p>
<p>Breathing was getting more difficult and Time couldn't feel his body anymore.<br/>
He didn't want to go back again, just wanted to give up but he knew that he had no choice.</p>
<p>Time replied with a bitter smile: "I'm done playing that game but," coughs shook his weaker body violently, forming words was getting harder and harder for him, "She isn't done yet."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Four didn't know what was happening. He couldn't believe that Time was dying. He was dying because Four didn't react fast enough and Time had to save him.<br/>
Red cried violently in his head, begging for a miracle to happen.<br/>
Blue screamed out of rage, wishing that they had killed that monster sooner.<br/>
Vio tried to think everything through, he was trying to find a solution to this situation.<br/>
Green questioned how it could come to Time dying, why they weren't strong enough to save a friend.<br/>
Four froze. He couldn't react with this much going on in his head.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Wind also froze as he saw Time lying with severe wounds in Twilight's lap. There was so much blood. The blood was painting the forest ground with a gruesome red. Time's breathing got more and more shallow.<br/>
Wind was scared. He didn't want to lose Time like this. Getting pinned to the ground by the spear of a moblin, wasn't the way Time deserved to die. He deserved to get as old as Wind's grandma, with Malon together and then die because of old age.<br/>
Wind's body was shaking because of the sobbing. He didn't want to see the older man die.<br/>
He slowly went to Four and hid his crying face in between Four's neck and shoulder.</p>
<p>The smaller hero immediately started to comfort the younger one. But Four also hid his face because he just couldn't look at the scene before them.<br/>
Time slowly dying and Twilight desperately trying to get the older man to play the Ocarina of Time.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It's okay, Pup” spoke Time with a slurred voice.</p>
<p>His protege shook his head with disagreement. “How can you be so calm about this?”, he cried.<br/>
When would Time change his form? Would Twilight and the other two see a golden wolf when Time dies?<br/>
“You're gonna die! DON'T YA REGRET SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE?!” Twilight put his hand over his mouth. “I... I'm... I'm sorry. I don't know why I said that.”</p>
<p>Suddenly there was something cold touching softly his left cheek. It was Time's hand.<br/>
“It's okay...” Time's voice was quiet but yet warm.<br/>
Twilight knew that Time didn't believe it either. He saw it in the light blue eyes, where the tears were slowly gathering.<br/>
He had seen the hopelessness all those three days and now he knew why.<br/>
Time had expected someone to die but he clearly didn't count himself in.</p>
<p>Where were the others?<br/>
Sky, Legend, Hyrule, Wild, Warriors…<br/>
If one of them were here maybe they could prevent this.<br/>
Twi hoped that one of them or all of them would appear, not knowing yet he would never see them again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ya can't die. I... We need ya.” Those words were whispered with the now fragile voice of the Hero of Twilight.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Time didn't know how much time he had left. He didn't know if he really would be okay in the end.<br/>
When was the last time, where he had been okay, he mocked, feeling how blood coated his teeth.</p>
<p>He could taste the crimson liquid in his mouth.</p>
<p>Everything felt numb.</p>
<p>He didn't want to die.</p>
<p>When did it start raining?</p>
<p>Would the game go on?</p>
<p>He didn't want to.</p>
<p>How long would it take to get out of this game of life?</p>
<p>He didn't want to go on.</p>
<p>The sky was clear. He couldn't hear the sound of raindrops hitting the ground.<br/>
Why were his cheeks wet then though?</p>
<p>How often will he see his boys getting killed before he could end this insane game?</p>
<p>He didn't want to see more of that.</p>
<p>But he had to because She wasn't done playing yet.</p>
<p>Will She ever be done?</p>
<p>He didn't want to-</p>
<p>The cycle would go on and on and on.</p>
<p>No end in sight.</p>
<p>Time was done playing that game of life a long time ago and he just wanted to die.</p>
<p>He felt his body growing weaker with every shallow breath he took. His hand fell down to the earth, Link wasn't strong enough to hold it up anymore.<br/>
He couldn't hear his pup's panicked screams anymore.<br/>
The reason why he was laying there on the ground was completely forgotten.<br/>
He had forgotten where he was. But he didn't care because it was peaceful.</p>
<p>Maybe She was done playing.</p>
<p>Maybe that was his end. The end of the Hero of Time.</p>
<p>“Don't die.... please”</p>
<p>He never felt so free in his life. It wasn't a normal happy ending like those in fairy tales but it was enough for him.<br/>
The thoughts of his wife saddened him. Malon wasn't here, not with him. Never again would she be with him again but maybe she’’ understand when she hears from their boys what happened.</p>
<p>He was dying but he knew that he would end this way. Protecting his family.</p>
<p>He smiled with regret as he heard the last words. “Pa... please...”</p>
<p>Finally it was peaceful.</p>
<p>Finally it was calm.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Suddenly everything was blinded in white light and Link felt like he was falling without an end.<br/>
Clocks circled round and round his body, ticking noises echoing till it’s the only thing he can hear.</p>
<p>Then there was the haunting chuckle.</p>
<p>“You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?”</p>
<p>There was no escape from this game.</p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Time woke up with a gasp. He was lying in his tent and the early morning sun was shining through the cracks in his tent. The taste of blood was coating his tongue.</p>
<p>Time had to get up.</p>
<p>They had to leave.</p>
<p>It wasn't safe here.</p>
<p>It was nowhere safe.</p>
<p>It was his burden, his alone.</p>
<p>Tears were glistening but not yet rolling down his cheeks. Breathing hurt but he didn't care. Nobody cared.</p>
<p>Smile, he told himself, don't let them see it. They don't need to know.</p>
<p>Days were repeating in a never ending cycle for now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He was the Hero of Time.<br/>
The legendary hero, when you follow Wind's timeline. The timeline with seven cruel years and then the return of the beast but no hero to stop it, which ended in the great flood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The fallen hero, when you follow the destruction in Legend's and Hyrule's timeline. The timeline where he failed, where he got killed and the seven sages had to ban without his help the beast with the whole triforce in the sacred realm, but it didn't held for long.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The forgotten hero in Twilight's timeline. The timeline where he found a parallel world, where the moon was falling again and again, because he searched for a friend. A friend he felt incomplete without.<br/>
He was still incomplete.<br/>
It was the timeline, where his descendant had to fight the beast. Where his flesh and blood had to carry a burden, he shouldn't have.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He stepped out of the tent.<br/>
Leafs were being crumbled under his heavy steps.<br/>
Time was exhausted but that wasn't important.<br/>
The wind was howling through the large trees. It was just like home.</p>
<p>His protege called Time to them. Soft smiles were on both of their faces.<br/>
“You look exhausted,” Wild said in a slight worried tone, “come here.” He was pointing at Twilight's lap.<br/>
Time wanted to resist first but he couldn't win against the puppy eyes they both made.<br/>
Slowly his head was placed on Twilight's lap but it was Wild, who immediately started to gently stroke Time's hair. Time let out a sigh, his body relaxed and he felt a bit happier.<br/>
“Everything's gonna be alright, old man. We're not leaving ya.” Twilight exclaimed gently. His words reminded Time of his wife.<br/>
It was just like home.</p>
<p>It won't last forever.</p>
<p>For Twilight and Wild it was just a normal day. A day where they relaxed and cuddled with their friend and mentor.<br/>
For Link it was a sweet moment in hell.<br/>
A never ending hell.</p>
<p>It was just a new round in Her game of life.</p>
<p>Time just happened to be Her favorite puppet.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I hope you liked it and give me a bit feedback.<br/>Have a good day &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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